A member of the Norwegian royal family has been charged with three counts of rape, Oslo police announced.
The charges against Marius Borg Høiby, 28—the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway—follow a prolonged investigation involving multiple victims.
Høiby’s mother is married to Crown Prince Haakon. The couple will become king and queen on the death of King Harald V, who is 88 and in poor health.
Høiby is accused of multiple offenses—including rape, sexual assault, bodily harm, and abuse within a close relationship. Incredibly, authorities confirmed that the case involves a “double-digit” number of alleged victims, though they declined to elaborate further.
Høiby, who has no royal title and no official public duties, came under investigation in August 2024 when he was arrested on suspicion of assault. He was arrested again in September and November of the same year as additional accusations emerged. Norwegian police have since concluded their 10-month investigation and passed the case to public prosecutors, who will decide whether to proceed to trial.
According to Oslo police attorney Andreas Kruszewski, Høiby was questioned on multiple occasions during the autumn of 2024 and the spring of 2025. He was described as cooperative throughout the process. Police said the investigation was extensive, involving a large volume of digital data, text messages, and witness testimonies as well as several searches of physical premises.
Among the charges Høiby faces are three alleged rapes—one involving intercourse and two not—four counts of sexual assault, two counts of bodily harm, and one count of abuse within a close relationship. In addition, he is suspected of four incidents of sexually offensive behavior. Some of the reported offences, particularly those related to sexual misconduct, have been dismissed due to the statute of limitations or insufficient evidence.
While Høiby’s legal representative, Petar Sekulic, acknowledged the gravity of the accusations, he stated that his client denies most of the charges—particularly those concerning sexual abuse and violence.
The Royal House of Norway has issued a brief statement confirming that the matter is proceeding through the judicial system and has declined to comment further.
Høiby has had a turbulent past, including a public admission of cocaine addiction. His biological father, Morton Borg, has a criminal history involving drug and violent offenses.
At present, Høiby remains free while prosecutors deliberate on bringing the case to trial. The police have affirmed that their investigation was conducted thoroughly and with due diligence, taking into account the sensitivities and scale of the allegations.
Meghan hits the beach
Meghan Markle is enjoying the summer, posting a beach snap to Instagram this weekend to remind the world of her long-held love for the sea and the freedom it represents.
She and Prince Harry live in Montecito, California, just minutes from the ocean.
Markle’s love of beach messaging is, of course, far from a recent development. Indeed, she married her first husband in a barefoot beach ceremony in Jamaica.
More recently, her Instagram comeback on January 1 featured a video of her running barefoot along a serene stretch of sand, dressed in white jeans and a billowy shirt, her hair loose in the wind. The shot, reportedly taken by Harry, captured her scribbling “2025” into the damp sand—intending to evoke, one assumes, rebirth, presence, and simplicity.
As a lifestyle statement, rolled-up trousers and bare feet on California’s golden shores are a notable point of difference to the often cold, windswept beaches endured by the rest of the royal family, in the public imagination at least.
Prince Harry, too, has embraced beach living. Harry has spoken in the past about enjoying walking his dog on the beach—an everyday pleasure that he has suggested would once have been circumscribed by royal protocol.
New cash for access controversy
Prince William has found himself at the center of yet another “cash-for-royal-access” controversy in a development that serves as an unwelcome reminder of past scandals—most notably the incident where King Charles, as Prince of Wales, accepted Fortnum & Mason carrier bags stuffed with hundreds of thousands of euros in cash from a Qatari sheikh for his charity.
This time, Minerva Mondejar Steiner, a Filipina-Swiss millionaire and (now former) official sponsor of Prince William’s charitable polo event, reportedly offered ultra-wealthy individuals a private meeting with the future king in exchange for £20,000.
The event in question—next month’s Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor—is a closely guarded, invitation-only affair where high-value donors mingle with royalty. Mondejar Steiner, listed as a guest, sent a “strictly private and confidential” offer to elite members of a luxury concierge network, stating that donations to her own foundation could secure them access to the event—or even to Prince William himself.
An email invitation, exposed by The Sunday Times, explicitly priced the perks: “Patron contributions: £6,000 — admission for one patron. £20,000 — includes full access plus a private audience with Prince William and Princess Catherine.”
Another section read: “As a patron of the Mondejar Foundation, you are invited to support their philanthropic work through a charitable donation, in return for which you will be welcomed to this prestigious occasion.”
In response, Kensington Palace said Prince William did not “condone” the conduct described and expressed gratitude to the newspaper for flagging the issue. The Palace confirmed that it had asked the polo club to sever ties with the sponsor immediately.
Mondejar Steiner declined to comment, The Sunday Times said.
This episode has been nipped in the bud, but it will be an uncomfortable reminder of concerns over transparency, access, and influence within the royal charitable ecosystem.
